Time-lock movement.



CL A. MHLLER.

TIME LOCK MOVEMENL APPLICATION FILED JULY 13. Isis.

1,283,255. Patented '00L 29, I918.

JNII/ENTOR 6. Q, )lauw A larneys UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

i CHARLES A. MILLER, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE YALE & TOWNE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT;

TIME-LOCK MOVEMENT.

'Application filed July 13, 1918.

To all whom t may concern:

lBe it known that I, CHAnLEs A. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Stamford, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Time- Lock Movements; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in time lock movements and particularlyT to the means for adjusting the balance wheel and hair spring.

In the time lock as now used, the balance wheel is supported by a iixed bridge which is located by dowel pins Vand secured to the outer plate of the time movement by a screw. The hair spring is attached at its outer end to a stud on the inner surface of the bridge and at its innerend to a collet Vwhich lits friction tight on the balance wheel statt. This collet canbe turned on the balance staff, by a small thin screw .driver inserted in the slot, in order to put the balance and esy capement in beat as it is termed, that is.

to bring the impulse pin on the balance wheel in a direct line between the staffs of the balancewheel and pallet; If the impulse pin standsat either side of this center line when at rest, the movement will tick unevenly and must be adjusted by shifting or turning the hair spring collet on the balance wheel staff untilthe impulse pin stands on the center line and holds the fork and escapement in a central position. Then when the watch or clock is running, the impulse pin will swing an equal distance each side of the center line and a uniform action is obtained.

In order to make this adjustment on the movement now in use, it is necessary to remove the bridge from the movement; turn it over; shift the collet; replace the bridge and test the balance to ascertain whether the adjustment is perfect. If not the operation must be repeated until it is.

The object of my invention is to greatlv simplify the operation of adjusting the position of the impulsepin, and it consists in a circular bridge seated in a circular' opening absolutely concentric with the axis of the balance wheel staff, so that by turning the bridge in its seat, and without removing it from the top plate of the movement, the

Speccation of Letters Patent. n

Patented Oct. 29, 1918.

serial No. 244,758.

hair spring stud will also be turned without in any way disturbing the alinement or central position of the balance wheel staff.

My invention further consists in the details of construction as will be more fully explained and pointed out in the claims.

- In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a time lock movement case showing my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a view in edge elevation partly in section; Fig. 3 is a view in section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a view of the inner or rear face of the bridge; Fig. 5 is a view of the spring box detached; and Fig. 6 is a view in elevation of the spring box showing the spring therein.

6 and 7 represent respectively the front and rear plates of the frame carrying the time mechanism. These plates are secured together by screws 8 and are held separated and in parallel position by the sleeves 9 inclosing the screws. The front or outer plate 6 is provided near its upper end with a circular opening in which the circular bridge 10 is seated. This bridge which is preferably of skeleton form as shown` overlaps the outer edge of the circular opening in the top plate. and is provided on its rear face with a circular flange 11 which snugly fits within said opening, the fit between the wall of the opening and the liange 11 being such as will permit the bridge to be turned, but which will absolutely prevent any other movement when the bridge is locked in place by the clamps 12 which are secured bv screws to the top plate and overlap the periphery of the bridge as shown in Fig. 1.

The balance wheel staff 13 of the time movement is jonrnaled in bearings in the rear plate 7 and the bridge 10 respectively` the staff bearing in the bridge, being in the exact center of the latter so that the axis of the balance staff 13 is concentric with the axis around which the bridge may be turned. The hair spring stud 14 to which the outer end of the hair spring 15 is secured. is attached to the bridge 10, the other end of said spring being secured to the hub of the balance wheel 16 or to the staff.

In order to exclude dust. a glass cover 17 is secured within the outer face of the bridge by a snap ring 1S.

By means of the circular bridge mounted to rotate, the operation of adjusting the hair spring in order to bring the impulse pin on the balance Wheel, in a direct line between the balance and pallet staffs (not shown), is greatly simplified. T he circular opening in the top or outer plate is absolut-ely concentric with the center or axis of the balance staff 13, so that by turning the bridge, Without removing it from the plate 6, the hair spring stud 11i will be correspondingly turned Without disturbing in the slightest the alineinent or central position of the balance staff,

Another' distinct advantage is that the adjustment is obtained at a greater distance trom the axis of the balance vvheel. In the present method, a very slight movement of the collet on the balance sta-ff may carry the impulse pin too far, While With my improvement, the adjustment is obtained at the outer end of the spring Where a greatermovement is required in order to move the impulse pin a given distance.

It is evident that many slight'changes might be resorted to in the relative arrangement of the parts shoivn and described With-4 out departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.' l Hence I would have it understood that I do not Wish to coniine myself to the exact construction and arrangement of parts shown and described, but

I-Iaving fully described my invention NWhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:-

I.k In a time movement, the combination of a movement plate, a balance Wheel and its sta-ff, and a balance Wheel bridge the latter being mounted to turn on said plate, the axis of rotation of the bridge being concentric with the axis of the balance Wheel statt.

2. In a time movement, the'combination of a movement plate having an opening therein, a bridge mounted to tnrn on said plate and spanning the opening therein, and a balance Wheel statt having a bearingl at Gopies of this patent may beobtaned for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner o! Patenti,

one end on the bridge the said bearing being concentric ivi-th the axis of rotation of the bridge.

3. In a time movement, the combination of a movement plate having a circular opening' therein, a circular bridge mounted to turn in said opening, and a balance wheel stati" having a bearing at one end on the bridge, the bea-ring for the balance wheel stati' being concentric With the axis of rotation of the bridge.

el. In a. time movement, the combination of a movement plate having an opening therein, a bridge mounted to vturn on said plate and spanning the opening therein, a balance Wheel and its staff theY latter having a. bearing on the bridge the said bearing being concentric with the a-Xis of rotation of the bridge, a hair spring stud carried by the bridge, and a hair sprin(T secured at its inner end to the balance Wheel orits staff and the outer end to the stud on the bridge.

5. In a time movement, the combination of a movement plate having a circular opening therein, a circular bridge mounted to turn in said opening, means for detachably secur- 10 bridge, a hair spring stud carried by the 75 bridge and a hair spring attached at its outer end to the stud on the bridge and atits inner end to the balance Wheel or its staff.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this speciication in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses. v

lCHARLES A. MILLER.

fitnessesz kWILLIAM A. HANN, l, TiLLiAM Pf MosELY.

Washington, D. C. 

